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The huge
employment opportunity and other commercial viability that are bound in
shipping still remain highly under-utilised, a shipping operator has said.

Engr. Alex Egenti, the Managing Director, Chief
Executive Officer of Millennium Shipping, made the remark in an interview in
Lagos.

He said that the shipping sub-sector has the potential
of creating employment for a generation of young graduates and skilled but
untrained youths.

According to him, indigenous shipping development must
begin to consider the need for adequate ship maintenance and repair facilities
for it to take advantage of the gains associated with sea transportation.

Egenti said in that regard, Millennium Shipping was
working to develop a floating dock to take care of the essential service as
well as provide employment for many Nigerians.

“We are looking at bringing in a massive floating dock
and by the time that dock comes in, life will be a lot easier for Nigerian
local ship-owners.

“There will be employment for so many young
generations because seaway transportation in Nigeria is at the point of zero.

“There is what we call hoover transportation; it is a
kind of sea-bus. The smallest one takes 125 passengers and the speed is about 45-50
nautical per hour, meaning that from here to Ikorodu will be a journey of like
20 minutes.”

Talking on safety of such sea-bus, Egenti said: “She
is safe. The hoover never sinks because she is an expander. She expands
according to the terrains, she goes on sand.

“The agenda of a shallow draft does not affect a
hoover craft because the proportion is in the air, not in the water.

“The idea of debrisin our waters does not affect a
hoover craft and the speed is second to nothing.

“We are also
expecting the installation of a pedestrian crane that is able to lift most of
these crafts out of the water at a very low rate, put the craft on ground and
do all the work you want to do.

“It returns the craft into the water for the craft to
find its level going back to its operation.”

He however called for increased efforts at ensuring
that removal of wrecks got more effective for safer navigation of the
ships.